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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. track — to keep track
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — all right
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com